The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 187

of wine a.ad fruit used o.t the Po.sclrnl men.I. thou doest, do quiokly. Questions have been 'fho usiige is illustmtocl by the LXX. ver• ro.iscd I\B to the eeotenco-whctl,er it wns sionof Huth II. 11 cmd Job xxxi.17. lo the o. solemn commond or o permission at onc0 New Testament ,j,wµl(w is used for distri- to crmy out th0 purpose tbot wos in his bution of food, Rom. xii. 20; 1 Cor. xiii. 3. hen.rt (ae Grotiue, Kuinoel, o.nd others sup- '.rhe not of Jesus was almost cootempore.ncous pose); but Moyer here is more penetrative with the "Thou sayest it" of the synoptists ( eo Moulton) : " Jesus ( o.s a. man) o.ctuall y It was twofold in meaning, explaining to wishes to surmount e.e soon ns possible tho John what he wished to know for Peter's last crisis of his fate now determined for sake, e.ocl giving Judo.a one more gro.cious him." Jameson (' Profound Problems in oho.oco to repent e.nd believe in the Divinity Theology e.nd Philosophy') urges tho.t it wo.s of love rather tho.n tho.t of display, power, the prolongation of the struggle which was o.od pomp. Judo.a ho.d been dipping his the bitterest element in Christ's sufl'erings. ho.ad into the same dish with his Master, The decision at which he had arrived ea.ting his bread. Instead of resenting such brooked no longer delay. As if he had so.id, effrontery the blessed Lord go.ve him in "If you ha.ve any manhood in yon, and pity the last opportunity to escape. He you are not o.ltogether incarnate daemon, puts the morsel sopped in the o.cid wine, make haste, let me remain no longer in sue- the breo.d of fellowship, into his very lips, peose; ca.rry out the purpose now and at o.nd the miscreant received it. The no.me once." Ambrose, Liicke, Tholuck, suggest of Judo.s, o.nd of his father, o.nd of the plo.ce that he meant to separate Judas from tho cursed by being his birth plo.ce, are once eleven, and be rid of his presence. His re- more introduced o.t length (cf. eh. vi. 71). moval from the group is undoubtedly the Ver. 27.-And after the sop; not with it. condition of Dill' Lord's highest revelations By no mo.gico.l or demoniacal rite wes the of himself. mo.n rendered the slo.ve of So.tan; post hoo Vers. 28, 29.-Now not one (oba,ls, not ie not propter hoe. After the sop, after this even John) of those reclining at table knew lo.et Jina.I proof of the unuttero.ble friendship with referenoe to what matter or behoof and Jove of the Divine Lord--To-r<, then, he said this to him. The -roii-ro is very "a.t that moment," o.s though goodness was emphatic, o.nd, on the supposition of the tumod into wrath, and the conflict with evil authenticity of the narrative, John expressly o!.osed, the incarnated fiend resolved that he disclaims the knowledge. It is arbitrary for would wait no longer. Then Sa.tan (the only Keim to so.y that John must ho.ve known. place in the Fourth Gospel where Satan is The whole of this "aside" was the work of mentioned) entered into him. How could a moment. For cer..aio. of them were Sllp· this be known? The evangelist cleo.rly saw posing, because Judas held the p1ll'Be--or, ooz what he thus deacribed-he saw the malign (see note, eh. xii 6)-Jesus said to him, Buy and unrelenting expression ou J udo.s's foce; the things we have need of for the feast; he suspected that some devilish plot wee or, (he spa.ke) in order that he shonld give he.tched,some hideous purpose finally formed. something to the poor. (See Introduction, It is tho evangelist's wo.y of saying what he p. xcii., for an explanation of this passo.ge, personally saw o.nd afterwards concluded. o.nd the use that has been made of it to settle Up to that moment of supreme forbearance, the question of the do.y of our Lord's deo.th.) the cho.racter wo.s not irretri~vo.bly do.mned, If the greo.t feo.st of the Jews was to be but flOtJJ he had sinned against knowledge held on the following day, and this wo.s and love, and even Jesus gives him up. the 13-14.th of Nisan, this o.dvice would be "It were better for him that he ho.d never perfectly comprehensible, whereall, if it was been born." Thern is no more awful or the H-15th when Jesus and also all the Jew~ tro.gic touch in the whole narrative, nor o.ny were celebrating the Passover, the purchase more symbolic of the curse which the of any articles would have been contrary to corrupt heart can mo.ke o.nd bring down lo.w ; and on both grounds the conclusion is upon itself out of the greatest blessing. drawn tho.t this was the evening of the There is no o.dvo.ntage in trying to deter- 13-l4th, o.nd tho.t the Paschal meal had cer- mine the amount of figurative sense con- tainly been anticipated by Jesus; but this veyed by the expression, "Sato.u entered." is not absolutely conclusive, because, even The ethical sto.te consequent either upon though this were the Passover meal, it is the sop 01· the devil is clear enough. The certo.in that further sacrifices, ea.lied " Po.ss- , moment wheu it wo.s induced is sign11.lized overs," were consumed on the great day of in this tragedy. '.rhe vehement effort which unleo.vened bread tho.t followed the Paschal the tro.itor must have made to resist all meal, and it is not perfectly certain wh&t gracious influenocs opened the wo.y for the was the oustom of the Jews with reference powers of hell and darkness to take posses- to purchase. Ta.lmudio authorities may be sion of him. He strengthened himself to quoted both ways ; o.nd a farge number do evil. Jesus therefore said to him, That of distinguished commentators (Hongsten• JOIIN,-11, Q  THE OOSPEL AOOORDING TO ST. JOHN. [oa. xm. 1-38.